


Twisted, too

by Cosmic_dustpan



Category: Killing Eve (TV 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Eventual Smut, F/F, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:34:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24763939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cosmic_dustpan/pseuds/Cosmic_dustpan
Summary: Eve is bored.  Bored with her job, bored with her husband, and bored with Philly, until something decidedly NOT boring comes along in the form of a beautiful, mysterious Russian, with promises of the very answers Eve has been dying to know.OrThe Philly AU no one asked for but I wrote anyway, featuring journalist Eve and our favorite Russian.
Relationships: Eve Polastri/Villanelle | Oksana Astankova
Comments: 10
Kudos: 111





	1. Dickswabs

“Nowhere left to run motherfucker, I got you now. Let’s see you come back after this!” Eve triumphantly slammed her hand on the desk. 

Bill raised his shaggy brows as he checked his phone. “Well done, Eve.” He tapped a few times on the screen, smirked, and turned back to his screen. 

Checking the notification on her iPhone, Eve’s mouth made a little O just before she burst out with “Oh you fucking…. dickswab!”

“Mmmm… I’m hoping Niko packed shepherd’s pie today because it’s all mine now, Polastri.”

Eve threw a peach ring at Bill’s smug face. She blamed her Words With Friends losing streak on the Philadelphia educational system. Obviously, Bill’s stupid British schools and all the stupid extra U’s must’ve prepared him for this moment his entire life. Unfair advantage, really, when you thought about it. Also, it should be called Words With Smug Assholes because just look at him over there being a smug asshole. 

“I can actually hear you insulting me in your head, you know.” Bill didn’t even bother to look up from his computer as he chomped on the peach ring. 

Eve ran her fingers through her unruly hair, deciding to pull it up into a messy ponytail rather than wrestle with it further. It was a slow day in the office, again. Routine bullshit really. When was something exciting going to happen in the city? The City of Brotherly Love was no stranger to crime but lately it had all been so mundane and predictable, except for…well, except for that Russian guy who dropped dead in Center City last week, but Eve had been assured repeatedly that there was nothing weird about that at all. Just a guy with a bad heart and the bad luck to drop dead so publicly. 

Eve absently clicked her pen and thought of how different life could’ve been if she hadn’t met Niko at UPenn. She had wanted to get out of New York and as far from her parents as they would allow, so she passed on Columbia to come to Philadelphia and live on her own. Would she be at the FBI now if she hadn’t been so stubborn in wanting to do everything on her own? Oooh, or the CIA? Would she be abroad? Would she be out in the field somewhere, tracking terrorists, or cracking codes, or finding evidence that everyone else missed in a clean, high profile, contract kill? The thought thrilled her. She could be out there, out somewhere, making a difference. Instead, here she was spending another day in this shit office, with its shit coffee, mechanically typing out another shit article. Where had the last 20 years gone? 

The only souvenir she had from her aspirations was her “hobby” of tracking organized crime. Could it be called a “hobby” if it was the only thing keeping her sane these days? Niko allowed her a home office where she could map out different hits or robberies or hypothesize about the outcome of different cases based on what certain organizations could gain. Niko tolerated her obsession, albeit in a sort of patronizing way. He not-so-secretly thought she saw patterns because she wanted cases to be tied together, rather than basing her conclusions on facts. Or, you know, basing it on evidence of any kind. Because THAT was the weird thing with a few of these cases she had been looking at from different East Coast cities, there just wasn’t any physical evidence left behind and that was-- 

A soaking wet iced coffee unceremoniously slapped onto her desk jolted Eve from her thoughts. “No, no Eve, no worries, I got it!” Elena balanced 3 more drinks in her hands and a bag of pastries under her arm as she made her way to Bill’s desk, depositing a steaming hot cup. 

“Well, where’s Kenny then? I had to ask the poor barista to remake his girly latte with less foam or you know what hap—”

“Yes, right, thanks,” Kenny awkwardly interrupted as he came into the office, grabbing his latte with his one free hand, a roll of toilet paper in the other. 

Elena rolled her eyes conspiratorially at Eve and sat on the desk facing Bill. “So old man, I do hope you are properly hydrating in preparation for tonight. Wouldn’t want you passing out early just because you’re turning 70 or whatever.”

Bill gave her a little side eye and said with a sly grin, “Keep it up Elena. I’m sure there’s a photo from _way_ back when I was born, before computers mind you, that I’ll desperately need to cross reference. One that will require you to be tits deep in dust and files in the basement until 7pm.”

“Nah, you wouldn’t, because then I’d have to go by Frank’s office and I just might have to slip up and accidentally mention where we’re heading tonight.” Elena offered an innocent, toothy grin to Bill’s horrified expression. “That’s what I thought. Now, drink up.” 

Elena turned her attention to Eve. “And where the hell were you just now? You were staring off into space with this intensity… OH MY GOD are you having an affair? God, it’s about time Eve, honestly. Oh tell me all about it!” Elena was practically buzzing on the desk, eyes bright and teasing.

Eve swatted Elena’s leg out of the way as she grabbed a pastry. “Oh shut up, I was just zoned out, nothing exciting.” Wasn’t that the understatement of the year. There was no excitement to be found within miles of Eve’s boring, predictable life. She sighed and turned back to her boring, predictable article. Only 4 hours until lunch, she could make it until then at least.

\---

Eve hit submit on another factual, boring, repetitive article. There was nothing unusual about the latest Philly homicide. The suspect was in custody with a stack of evidence against him. No wonder people didn’t buy papers anymore. If she was this bored writing it, who would want to read it?? She should at least be thankful that it was Friday, but honestly, the weekends didn’t offer much in terms of excitement either. Saturdays were usually a dinner party with “friends,” meaning Niko’s friends, or, god help her, a special edition of Bridge Club. Oh and she couldn’t forget the weekly missionary, like clockwork. Christ on a cracker, was this really her life?

At least she could let loose tonight for Bill’s birthday. Well, a little bit. With Niko there, it was difficult to enjoy herself too much. He was always just…there. He’d turn up just in time to ask questions about an inside joke, usually with another drink. Even if she wanted to try something else for a round, he always had another of her “usual” waiting. It was considerate she supposed. It was just infuriating at the same time. It was like…like being tethered to the same spot, wearing the floor smooth and unrecognizable with repeated steps. And knowing every detail of the environment around you until you started going mad with the need for something different. 

Maybe they could all nip out a bit early and get a head start on the festivities, just the 4 of them. And then Eve could just _be_ for a bit without Niko, without expectations. She knew she should feel thankful to have a husband that was so attentive, and thoughtful, and ready to go out with her friends, but she also just craved the space to go out on her own. Of course, if she ever actually said that, his face would drop like a puppy that had just been told off. Keiko, Bill’s wife, was coming too but they were a different dynamic altogether. They were perfect for each other really. The realization that she never really thought that about herself and Niko brought a whole new wave of guilt.

“Eve!” Elena furiously whispered, breaking Eve’s train of thought. “C’mon, we’re skiving off to hit the pub. We need to have a proper birthday drink with Bill before everyone shows up.” 

“Oh thank god, I don’t think I could’ve handled another hour.” Eve closed out of the network files, and grabbed her bag from her desk drawer. 

Bill held the door for Elena, Eve, and Kenny. “Quickly now, I’ve booked us a conference room and scheduled everyone for a staff meeting for the end of the day, just in case. Now let’s fuck right off before Frank finds some reason to pop in, shall we?” 

At the bar, Eve let out a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding. The 4 of them ordered car bombs and she and Elena both got dirty martinis, complete with Elena waggling her eyebrows suggestively at the bartender while saying her friend Eve prefers “extra dirty, if you know what I mean.” Eve enjoyed a full hour of her brain in the “off” position for the first time in months. She guffawed at Bill’s antics with genuine laughter and finally, finally, felt like herself, just before the texts from Niko started rolling in around 5pm, asking if Eve was coming home to meet him to head out. She felt the weight settle back on her shoulders.

\---

Eve woke the next morning with a dry mouth, hoarse throat, and a splitting headache. Niko’s arm was slung over her, pushing her down into the bed, making her feel like an animal in a trap. She was about to push him off when he suddenly pulled her closer, his mustache scratching the back of her neck as he whispered “Good morning” and pushed himself against her backside. 

“Would we say good?” she rasped and then groaned. “Oh my god, my voice. Tell me we didn’t sing Disney last night. That was a dream, right?”

Niko laughed, “It was a whole new world, darling.”

Eve groaned again as her phone started ringing. It took her a second to realize it was work calling. On a Saturday. That was odd, to say the least. She shushed Niko and answered.

“Eve, Frank here. Something’s come up and you’re needed at the office today. Come in as soon as you can, I’m afraid it’s quite urgent.” Eve felt a little thrill go through her. Something came up, something _different_ , something _new_. 

She barely even glanced back at Niko. “I have to go in to work today, Niko. Something’s happened, but they won’t say what.”

“On a Saturday? You’re kidding. What in the world would they need you on a Saturday for?”

Eve felt her blood rise a little at his dismissive tone. She clenched her jaw and told herself that it wasn’t that he thought they wouldn’t need her specifically, just that…oh fuck it, she was too hungover to make excuses. She still tossed his lingering arm off her a little more roughly than she probably needed to as she got out of bed.

On her way into the building, all Eve could think was how she really, really, REALLY, should’ve said no to that last shot with Bill while Niko was paying the tab at the bar. She felt bile rising at the back of her throat. Oh god, that was a mistake to even think the word “shots.” She would kill for a goddamn carb right now.

“Croissant?” Elena matched step with her in the hallway on the way to the conference room, offering her a small paper bag.

“You are a savior, has anyone ever told you that?” 

“No, but plenty of men seem to think my name is ‘Oh God’ if that counts,” Elena said with a wink. Eve cracked a smile around a mouthful of croissant and pushed her way into conference room.

Frank sat on one side of the dingy conference room table, all long limbs, soggy face, and just general patheticness. Was patheticness a word? If not, she could add it to Merriams’ with just a picture of Frank’s stupid face as the definition.

“Ah yes, you both made it. I think we can get started now.” Frank visibly puffed with importance. 

Eve looked around briefly before blurting, “Where is everyone else? Where is Bill?”

Frank cocked his head at her. “Bill is probably at home sleeping off his hangover from his party last night, no doubt. I do hope you all had fun.”

Eve’s brows furrowed as she asked, “You said this was urgent, so I guess I had just assumed that something really big had happened.”

“Oh it has Eve, you will never guess who has just been arrested!” Frank steepled his fingers in front of his face.

Both Eve and Elena leaned forward in anticipation, waiting for Frank to continue. They both knew from experience that his sense of drama couldn’t be rushed, or he’d just be harder to manage later. 

When he was sure he had their full attention, he leaned back in his chair and said, “They finally got him and I managed to get the scoop! The city will sleep easier tonight, and you’ll be the first to inform the people, the first to tell them that they are just that much safer! Eve, this could be the story you’ve been waiting for, in particular, and Elena, I want you right there with her to document this moment. Get all the photos you can. I secured you both access to the station early this morning to see this scumbag brought in.” He grinned at them expectantly.

Eve’s eyes widened. “Holy shit Frank, is this about Victor Kedrin last week?? The guy who dropped dead in front of the Comcast Center?? The guy who had no business in Philly and oh my god I KNEW it! I KNEW it wasn’t a goddamn heart attack!” Eve’s mind was picking up speed now. “There was blood, a lot of it, and no one bleeds from a heart attack like that. And the scene was roped off so quick with all those feds with the fucking ear pieces and of course there were no details released and…” She glanced at Frank’s pale, stupid, blank face and… shit. This wasn’t about Victor Kedrin.

Frank just continued to look at her in silence for another few seconds before he seemed to find his voice again. “No, Eve, that was an open and shut case. Heart attack obviously, just as we put to print, and confirmed by our sources. This is real, and not one of your little fantasies.” Regaining his composure, he snorted a little dismissively at Eve. “The real menace off the streets, the one that you will be covering this morning, is the Swiss Cheese Masturbator. They got him ladies, and you’ll be first on the scene as soon as you quit messing about. Grab the cameras and get down to the station, they’re set to bring him in shortly!”

Eve could feel the anger run through her in the form of a chill at the back of her neck that ran all the way to her balled up fists. Her jaw muscles clenched and she took care to keep her voice even and calm as she said each word slowly. “The. Swiss. Cheese. Masturbator. You… you pulled me out of bed at this ungodly hour on a Saturday to cover the Swiss Cheese Masturbator. This is the scoop.” It wasn’t even a question. 

Elena laid a hand on Eve’s hand and offered a winning smile at Frank’s blustery face before he could respond. “This is just great Frank, really, thanks! Eve and I had better get going if we’re going to get this right! Won’t let you down!” Elena flashed one more perky grin at Frank before yanking on Eve’s arm to get her moving, and to break the murderous stare Eve was leveling at Frank.

Eve let out a frustrated growl when they emerged back onto the street. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” 

Elena adjusted her camera strap, glancing at Eve with a little smile. “It could be worse, Eve.” She waited until Eve looked back at her. Elena made a dramatic gesture of checking her watch and lifted her eyebrows. “It could be missionary O’Clock.”

They stopped for coffee on the way to the police station because while Elena may be fresh, Eve was a 40 something year old woman with a fucking hangover. Also, it wasn’t a bad idea to grab some treats for the officers at the station. Eve wasn’t above a sugary bribe.

So okay, this guy was an absolutely detestable human that harassed both women and dairy. But Eve knew this would undoubtedly turn into another one of those national “Philly news” stories that really didn’t need to be broken by the local newspaper as a “scoop.” And definitely did not need to be done so early on a Saturday after shots and karaoke. But Elena made a point. At least she was here and not being poked at by Niko for their weekly coupling. God, and he liked nothing more than to cuddle and nap afterwards, pretty much monopolizing every Saturday morning when all Eve wanted was a good cup of coffee and maybe a deep dive into some true crime novel. 

They walked up to the station, donuts in hand. Eve took great pride in keeping a professional and friendly relationship with the local cops. There was a time when Eve entertained the idea of joining the Philly PD, but Niko was adamant that she drop that, so she did. Also, while individual officers were fine people, as a whole, the Philly PD was a shit show. She still remembered her first run in with a racist prick of an officer, who she fondly referred to as Officer Salami whenever they crossed paths. Good men and women could be found in the Philly PD, but the core was rotten.

Not wanting a run-in with Officer Salami or one of his dickswab cronies, Eve and Elena set up shop outside the station. Even with a shitty hangover, Eve could tell something was up. The station was like a bee hive that had been smacked with a baseball bat. Officers and suits were rushing all over, and she swore she saw a few feds. Well, this was interesting.

“Elena, I need to get in there and see what’s going on. You got my back?” Elena sighed, downed the rest of her coffee and adjusted her camera strap before following Eve into the station.

Eve spotted a friendly face just inside and grinned at the young officer working the desk. “Hey Evans, pulled the short straw again? Speaking of short… What’s up, Zimmers ?” Eve smirked at the petite woman walking by and was rewarded with a good-natured swat. 

Eve tossed the donuts up on the desk. Poor Officer Evans, he was just a baby. Eve doubted he even had chest hair, but here he was trying to grow a goatee of all things. She opened the donut box and asked, “Ok, so when’s the excitement start? Frank dragged me out of bed for this and I’m really hoping to finish up early enough that Elena and I can beat the gays to brunch.”

Evans glanced to the side and then shuffled some papers before looking back at Eve. He looked a little more on edge than normal, making Eve wish she could get the guy into a poker game. When he still didn’t answer her, she leaned forward on the desk. “What’s going on Evans? You look like your mom caught you with a Victoria’s Secret catalogue.” 

Evans flushed a bit and whispered, “You know I can’t tell you anything!” Well that was interesting. So there _was_ something going on today, and it definitely wasn’t about those poor swiss cheese slices. Eve looked back at Elena for confirmation, and Elena’s narrowed eyes confirmed it. There was definitely something off today. 

“Evans, we’re just waiting for Mr. Swiss Cheese. Can you give us an ETA? We know he’s being brought in this morning.” Evans visibly relaxed, and Eve’s senses heightened. Oh, this was good. 

Evans fingers typed away on the keyboard and he told Eve that the cheese perv was expected in about 30-45 mins, depending on traffic. It was perfect timing, not enough time for them to go wait anywhere else, and long enough to maybe get a glimpse of whatever was going on here. 

“Too much coffee Evans, I’m going to use the restroom!” Eve took off past the desk before Evans could really get a word out, and Elena stepped in perfectly to ask him all about his workout schedule, just as Eve knew she would. She would make sure to buy Elena a round next time they went out for drinks. 

Something was definitely up. There were suits everywhere and the station was positively buzzing with activity. Eve walked between two well-dressed guys and slipped into the restroom. If she was going to creep around a police station and blend in, she was going to have to pull herself together a little more. 

Eve ran some water and looked in the mirror. As bad as she felt, she was impressed that she looked halfway normal. Now, if only she could tame these curls just a bit. A stall door banged loudly behind her as she was gathering her unruly hair into a ponytail. When she didn’t hear water running or movement, she looked over to see a woman staring at her. Eve froze with her hair in a fist. A stunning woman in a very well tailored suit was standing at the sink, intense hazel eyes trained on her. Eve looked back and they stared in silence for a few seconds before Eve asked, “Are you alright?” The woman blinked herself out of whatever trance she had been in and walked by Eve towards the exit, without a word. The strange woman paused before slipping out the door, and looked back at Eve saying softly, “Wear it down.” 


	2. Whiz

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Philadelphia was bullshit and why are Americans covered in so much cheese?

Philadelphia was bullshit and so were Americans, and they were even worse in their own country. Villanelle thought they were bad when they were in Europe. She had really underestimated their potential for being even louder and more strangely covered in cheese than she thought possible. She watched a family of tourists drip something called “whiz” all over their shirts. Wow.

Villanelle scoffed at what Americans considered history, and Philadelphia was the worst she had seen so far. She had been to “Old City,” which was not old at all. A thousand year old church, that was old. Stonehenge, that was old. Pyramids, those were old. A poorly made bell, that was not old. Museum steps were not cool. 

She sighed and sipped at her espresso. She would not be adding this particular American accent to her repertoire. It was not sexy. Who would even understand a “wooder ice” outside of this strange city anyway? A nice Southern accent might be nice though. That could be sexy. Her gaze followed a head of full curly hair, attached to very nice legs and a tight waist. Maybe Philadelphia had some upside after all. 

Villanelle glanced at her watch and finished her espresso. It was time to get moving, and hopefully shorten this visit to the states as much as possible. She yearned to be back in Paris, or Vienna, or London…or anywhere really. Raucous laughter erupted from the entrance of a bar just down the block. She couldn’t wait to be anywhere else, anywhere away from these loud obnoxious assholes. She dropped a couple of green bills on the table. Why Americans liked their weird green money with portraits of men wearing big wigs, she would never understand. She did appreciate their stockings and their little shoes though. Nice calves.

The police station was so quiet now, but she knew it wouldn’t be like this for long. She walked up to the desk and recited the lines that had been so carefully written for her. For once, she was determined to follow the rules if only because it would get her out of here faster. She watched the officer’s reaction change from disinterest to shock to suspicion to panic. She stood still in the flurry of action that surrounded her, like the eye of a storm. Radios burst to life, phones were answered, and she was ushered deeper into the station.

Villanelle lost track of how long she had been sitting in this dingy room. She looked down at her Styrofoam cup of lukewarm water and reigned in her temper again. It was getting more and more difficult to control herself the longer she sat trapped in this station with these idiots and their terrible accents. She forced a smile and managed to say through gritted teeth, “Yes, I know who killed Mr. Kedrin, and yes I am willing to share this information, but no, I cannot talk to _you_. I need to speak to someone in charge and I require protection as soon as possible. No, I am not a US citizen. Yes I am Russian.” Yes, yes yes. She was so tired of saying yes to these people. There was one officer or detective or sergeant or whatever that she really disliked. His name sounded like deli meat and his face also resembled said meat. Like deli meat that had been left out to sweat. It was an unfortunate pairing. 

It was early the next morning when she noticed a delicate adjustment in the mannerisms of the officers around her. It was about time. She straightened herself in her chair and folded her hands together. It was nearly showtime, she could feel it. Sure enough, a chubby man in a suit walked in. His eyes were tired but excited, and his thinning hair was trimmed very clean. His belly hung over his pants, but it was not altogether an unfortunate suit, leading Villanelle to assume that this was what she had been waiting for. US federal agents had arrived at last. 

“Ms…” The agent began, checking his notes. “Smith. The officers here tell us you have some information you would like to share?” Mr. Federal Agent did not introduce himself, or his organization, or offer her a shitty cup of coffee. Well, in her experience, men were not the best at foreplay.

Villanelle remained seated, leaning back in her chair. “Mr….?” Villanelle paused, looking up at the agent with small smirk. 

“Mr. Smith, actually. What a coincidence, wouldn’t you say? No relation, I’m sure. Very pleased to meet you. May I offer you some coffee? I understand you’ve been waiting some time.” His mouth smiled, but his eyes were predatory and careful. This was not a stupid man. Villanelle’s heart picked up. This was excellent. She had been so _bored_ with this so far, and being bored usually led to something naughty.

Villanelle looked directly into his eyes, deepening her Russian accent slightly. “Yes, Mr. Smith, what a surprising coincidence. I will not waste your time; you are obviously a very important and busy man.” She paused to gauge his reaction. Nothing, not even a twitch. Flattery was out then. She sighed. “All business, oookkkaaayyyyy. I know who is responsible for the Kedrin assassination, and others on the US East Coast recently. I will gladly share this information in exchange for certain conditions that I expect your country to provide.” She waited for a reaction and when he didn’t seem inclined to give one, she started to get annoyed. “Beginning with my safety, Mr. Smith. I am very tired, I would like to be taken somewhere safe for some sleep.” 

Agent Smith, or whoever he was, held her steady gaze. “Certainly, we will transport you to DC where we have a variety of—”

“No.”

Agent Smith’s eyes registered a mild surprise at being interrupted. “What do you mean ‘No’?”

“No, I will not be leaving Philadelphia, Mr. Smith.” She smiled endearingly. “I am not naïve, I am not new to this type of arrangement, and if you believe that I have come into a police station in the states without a contingency plan for my safety, in case you attempt to take me against my will, you are mistaken. I will remain in Philadelphia, in a safe location. Surely the US Government can arrange that.”

Agent Smith’s eyes flicked over her as if seeing Villanelle for the first time. Good. He nodded once, raised a finger to her to wait, and left the room. When he came back, he was with Officer Lunchmeat. Officer Lunchmeat did not look happy to be dragged into the room, and especially did not look happy to be dealing with a foreigner. She had caught his side eyed looks and his not-so-whispered “Russian Bitch” comments over the past few hours.

His lecherous smile made her fingers itch for one of her knives that she had to leave behind for this little trip. “Well Miss,” he began with a nasty look on his jowly face, “We have a nice little safehouse just outside the city we can take you to for the night.” 

Villanelle looked back at him and smiled fully, showing all her teeth. “Well, officer, would that be the safehouse in Manayunk? The one in the old church? Or maybe it’s the one tucked in the Section 8 housing in Conshohocken? That one is not your best, honestly. I would actually prefer the loft in the Art Museum that you usually reserve for the ‘special guests’ you like to stash there, but I’m wondering if that is taken this weekend?” Her smile turned more predatory as her eyes narrowed at his nametag. “Or, Sergeant, maybe I could stay with you? Do you still live in Roxborough? Tell me, does your son have practice today or is that only on weekdays?” Sergeant Lunchmeat visibly blanched, and even Agent Smith’s eyes widened. 

Villanelle glanced between the two of them before standing, and slowly adjusting the cuffs of her shirt. She shifted her weight, standing casually. “I am going to the bathroom. We know where all of your safehouses are. We know where all of your officers live. Agent Miller, I know where your children sleep. I know you are separated from your wife, and I know where she stays. I know when your children visit their very busy father.” Villanelle’s fingers tingled when she saw the Agent react to this. She had surprised him. Would she ever tire of watching someone realize suddenly that they are not in control? She loved watching their eyes as their brains grasped for the first time that they were prey. It was intoxicating. She wanted…. Better to leave that for now. She took a shaky breath, trying to shut out the visions of Sergeant Lunchmeat’s blood on her hands, and his eyes staring, disbelieving as his soul turned inward.

She walked out of the room towards the bathroom around the corner. Two agents followed her and stood outside the bathroom. Under “protection” already it seemed. Excellent. She heard the door open as she finished in the stall. Had she been gone that long already that they had to send someone in to check? She rolled her eyes. Americans. On her way to the sink, she looked to her right, expecting to see a frumpy officer watching her intently to make sure she didn’t somehow break out of a concrete lined bathroom. 

Villanelle froze, cocky smirk dying on her lips to be replaced with a slack jaw. This…was not an officer. That _hair_ , and ok, yes, nice body and the hair and… she realized too late that she was staring directly into the other woman’s eyes, which were staring right back at her. Unafraid. Beautiful. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand as the woman said, “Are you alright?” That seemed to break the spell for Villanelle and her legs finally responded, taking her quickly to the exit. She ducked back into the bathroom before leaving. Her voice was strangely soft to her own ears as she told turned and told the woman to wear it down. 

Her brows crinkled together as she slowly walked back towards the interview room. She was shaken. What was that about? She could still actually feel her heart beating in her ears, like the whoosh of the ocean. Villanelle gently shook her head to regain some control. There was an odd weakness in her limbs. It was just an attractive woman in a bathroom. To be fair, Villanelle did have a thing for bathrooms but…but nothing. It was time to focus, move to the next phase, and get out of here as quickly as possible. America was not good for her, obviously. Americans drank wine out of boxes, this was not good for anyone.

She replaced crinkled brows with an arrogant smirk and sauntered back into the interview room. Looking between Agent Miller and Sergeant Lunchmeat, she sat in her chair, steepled her fingers, and raised her eyebrows in a silent question. 

Agent Miller haltingly spoke first, clearly uncomfortable and nervous. Ah, this was perfect. So the Philly PD had confirmed that her information on the safehouses was accurate. “Ms. Smith, I um… well. I am at a bit of a loss. You seem to already know we have been compromised. How should we protect you?” Wow. Could this go any better? Maybe she should play by the rules more often. She nearly smiled. Probably not going to happen. 

“I will not be safe in one of your safe houses, or with an officer, or with an officer’s family. But…” Villanelle tapped her lips with her index finger. “Journalists are required to protect their sources, and someone in that field, someone not working for a major publication, would be under the radar enough to be safe. I will stay with one of them, and give them my information. I cannot be visited by agents, you understand. You are all very easily tailed.” She looked at Agent Miller as she said this last part, and smiled. She had seen the surveillance of him with his mistress, and by the slight blush on his cheeks, that is exactly what he was thinking too. 

Sergeant Lunchmeat was smiling too though, and that couldn’t be a good thing. His smile widened as he motioned for one of the officers, whispering some instructions. The other man looked confused, leaving the interview room and disappearing into the station buzz. “Ms. Smith, you are in luck. I know just the journalist.”

Moments later a short, mumbling, and cursing bundle wearing a very ugly coat was shoved into the interview room by an exasperated officer. “Found her snooping around Interview Room #3, boss.”

Somehow Villanelle knew what she would see when the bundle turned around. She felt a prick of…something…in her belly. Arousal? Anticipation? Maybe…fear? She breathed in, shakier than expected, and held it.

The woman turned and locked eyes with Villanelle. Brown, intelligent, and pissed. Villanelle’s lips turned up slightly at that. It was _her._ Villanelle’s eyes flicked to the woman’s hair. She had worn it down after all, and Villanelle felt something inside her start to come undone. 


	3. Uncle Bill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plan was crazy. And dangerous. Crazy dangerous. And Eve was in.

“No. Absolutely not. Out of the question.” The conversation had been back and forth for at least 30 minutes. Eve had taken off her light jacket because was it really fucking hot in here or what? She paced the length of the interview room again, keenly aware that a pair of hazel eyes was tracking her every move. A pair of very intense hazel eyes that had not looked at much else since she walked in the door, making her feel both exposed and maybe a little of something else. She was pointedly _not_ looking back though. And not because meeting those eyes stirred something in her. Definitely not because of that. It was because… reasons. Shut up brain.

According to Agent Who Cares and Officer Salami, the woman from the bathroom was a “Government Asset” and it was her “civic duty” to take her into her _home_ with her _husband_ and get her story. Oh, and then NOT publish said story, and instead just give it to the government. A real wham bam thank you ma’am there. Ludicrous. The best part was that this woman was apparently defecting from some type of fucking Russian organization, except she refused to say which one or how she knew what she knew and instead just sat there watching Eve and looking goddamn perfect. 

This was insane, and wildly dangerous. Agent WhatsHisName explained, looking more than a little uncomfortable, exactly why they couldn’t use a safe house. And okay, yes, this was interesting because Eve had been dying to know what really happened to Kedrin, and she would bet her left tit that the guy who got his tie stuck in an elevator in Boston was an assassination and not some grisly accident. There was also this woman that died of some sort of asthma attack...

Eve rubbed at her temples. She was very hungover, she desperately needed some bacon or something with some fucking grease, and was there really any way she was leaving this station without doing this? 

“Fine. Just…Fine. But there are rules.” She paused. What would the rules be? Goddamn fucking Bill and his stupid birthday. Her head was pounding. “I really do not have the energy to think of a backstory right now.” She flipped her wrist towards Agent Whatever and said, “This is your area, right? Espionage, spies, hiding in plain sight, right?” 

The agent had been tapping away at his laptop for most of the “conversation” about Eve’s civic duty as a true American. He looked up at her now. “Well Eve, according to your file, your boss is British with a new baby. I propose that our asset here is Bill’s uh…niece, here to visit her favorite uncle in the States but staying with his very good friend because of the baby.”

Eve leveled her eyes at the agent. “Bill’s _Russian_ niece is visiting?” 

The agent opened his mouth, undoubtably intending to explain just how Bill would have a fucking _Russian_ niece when a high, lilting laugh rang out accompanied by “Oh Eve, it is just so kind of you to offer your flat while I’m visiting the States! Uncle Bill really is just so pleased, as am I of course!” in a perfect straight-off-BBC accent. Eve’s jaw dropped as she turned to the smirking woman across the table.

The agent cleared his throat. “Well. That takes care of that I suppose. Obviously, you will need to brief Bill on something, but not the truth. Tell him it’s a confidential source for some story you’re working on. That’s close to the truth anyway.”

“It’d be better if you gave me a damn story to go with it,” grumbled Eve. “Honestly, I need something to submit after all this, or you’re going to get me possibly killed _and_ fired.” She hated to admit it to herself, but even without a story or payment or anything out of this, the chance to _know_ something real was powerful. She hoped it wasn’t written all over her face.

The agent waved her off as he refocused on his laptop, closing windows and packing up. “Yes, yes, I’m sure we’ll find a satisfactory arrangement, _after_ you’ve delivered the intel. Understood?” He stood and fished out two cell phones from his bag. “If you need to get in touch with me, or…I suppose, each other, use these. Do not discuss details with anyone. I will check in once daily until we have the full report, and we’ll go from there.” He looked at the young woman. “Officially, you’re denying our protection, do you understand?” To Eve’s surprise, the blonde did not seem intimidated, or anxious, or worried. She was annoyingly at ease. Actually, the way she smirked up at the agent while answering was bordering on cocky, like she was the one in charge here. Which, with a shock, Eve realized she was. 

The agent made to leave. Eve grabbed his arm as he passed. “Wait, what do I do now? Do I just take her home? Like a puppy I adopted?”

A soft scoff from behind her made her turn in time to see the young woman rolling her eyes as she tapped on her new phone. “Yes, Eve, that will definitely not be suspicious. I should leave a police station with you, someone I have never met, and go to your home to stay, from England, with no luggage.” She looked up at them in irritation. She sounded tired. “You are all very bad at this, do you know? Eve, there is a flight coming in from Heathrow at 5:35pm. I will call you, and then you and Bill will pick me up from the airport and take me to your house. Does that give you enough time to be ready?”

Eve took a breath. “I…okay. Yes, fine.” She needed to call Bill. God, she needed a drink actually. This was a lot. The agent just shook his head and walked out, losing interest now that this was not in his hands any longer.

As if sensing her thoughts, the woman’s voice turned softer. “You can do this, Eve. It is not so hard, right?” She didn’t even hear the woman get up but soon she was standing way too close, and Eve could almost feel the heat rising off her skin. “It’ll be just like roleplay. Do you roleplay with your husband Eve?” The blonde hummed a quick laugh at Eve’s clear discomfort. “I am joking, Eve.” The way she said her name was really…nothing. It was nothing, it definitely didn’t send invisible chills down her spine. The blonde continued in a slow drawl, “You should relax. This will be very fun, I promise. You need to do what it is you came here to do first, okay? And then meet up with Uncle Bill and tell your husband that company will be coming. And then that is all until you pick me up. Very easy. Okay?” She dipped her head a bit to look in Eve’s eyes, standing very close, but seeming to take extra care that she was not touching Eve anywhere. 

“Yes. I can…It’s okay. I can do it.” The blonde actually winked at her then, and made her way past Eve, walking towards the door. “Wait! What do I call you??”

The blonde turned and hummed thoughtfully. She responded in her perky British accent, “How incredibly rude of me, Eve. I’m Natalie.” With that, and one last smirk, she disappeared. Eve grunted. She was definitely NOT a Natalie.

Eve grabbed her jacket and made her way back to the front desk. She was flustered but also…excited. How could she not be?? Answers, she would be getting answers to questions that she’d been railroaded on for months. This woman knew things. She smiled to herself. Looking out the front door, she saw Elena nearly having a panic attack. Shit, she forgot. She walked outside and was immediately accosted.

“Eve, what the hell!?” Elena whispered furiously. “They brought the disgusting cheese guy in like 30 minutes ago. I snapped a few photos and I guess sort of got a statement but…honestly, what the hell were you doing in there??”

“Salami caught me snooping around. I got a tongue lashing.” Parts of the truth were always better than a whole lie, she thought, and with the way the fire went out of Elena, it was a good call. 

Elena immediately softened. Officer Salami was not particularly nice to Elena either. “Oh, I’m sorry babe, I know that can’t have been pleasant. I’ll send you the pics and what the officers said once I get back.” Elena paused, looking at Eve. “You…actually look a little better than you did just a bit ago. Maybe you need a “tongue lashing” more often. I’ll be sure to let Niko know.” Eve rolled her eyes and smiled. 

\---

“Eve, I swear, there had better be a bloody good reason I am sitting here right now instead of lazing about in bed with a hangover and having birthday sex during nap time.” Bill was really looking worse for wear, and grumpy to boot. 

“I’m getting a gin and tonic, I don’t care what time it is.” Eve looked at the brunch menu, eyeing up something sweet and sticky. “Listen, get a drink, on me. I uh… I need your help today Bill.” She tried to look endearing, but it probably came off more like a grimace. Bill did not look amused. “I have a source flying in, unexpectedly, today. From London. She has to stay with me for a few days while I get her story, but I need a good reason for her being here. I thought she could be your niece, here to visit, but staying with me because of the baby.”

Bill sighed. “Eve, you do know I’m an only child, right?” 

Three drinks and a large stack of French toast later, they had their shit together. “Natalie” was “Uncle Bill’s” best mate’s daughter from London, back in his MI5 days, before he had gotten serious with Keiko and moved to America. Blah blah blah, it was pretty thin but hopefully this would all be over in a few days and it wouldn’t matter anyway. 

“So, have you met her in person before inviting her to come stay in your home? What if she’s a right donkey with extreme flatulence?” Bill giggled a bit in his pint and looked up to see Eve cheeks start to color as she remembered intense, intelligent hazel eyes, and that accent, and full lips and why was she thinking about her _lips!?_

“Eve! You dog! Oh, she is definitely not a donkey then. Do tell!” Bill sat forward in his chair expectantly, grinning like a stupid teenage boy. Sometimes she wondered how it seemed like he was right there in her head with her. She supposed that was what came with best friend territory. He was still waggling his eyebrows and motioning with his pint for her to continue. 

"Well. I mean, okay yes, but very brief, I barely got a look.” Bill did not look convinced. “Um, well… Okay. Her hair is dark blonde, maybe honey? It was tied back. She was slim. About 25, 26. She had very delicate features. Her eyes are sort of catlike — wide, but alert. Her lips are full, she has a long neck, high cheekbones. Her skin is smooth and bright. She had a lost look in her eye, that was both direct and also chilling. She’s totally focused, yet almost entirely inaccessible.” She finished and looked back to see Bill with his eyebrows raised, clearly amused and clearly loving this. 

“Barely got a look, did you?” His shit-eating grin would be annoying if it was anyone but Bill. As it was, she grinned back and asked if he wanted to hear about her tits. It felt good to talk about this with Bill. It felt good to talk about something other than Niko. Shit. Niko.

Strange how the thought of Niko killed the mood. Eve picked at a fingernail and looked out the window. “We should get the check. I still have to go home and tell Niko the news.” 

Bill’s grin vanished, replaced with concerned eyes. “Do you want me to…uh?” He motioned with his hands.

“Well no, because he already thinks I’m having an affair with you, so you showing up with me probably isn’t going to help.” She put her head in her hands and ran her fingers through her hair distractedly, eventually barking a laugh. “Honestly, nothing is going to help this one is it? If it’s a favor for my best friend, he’ll be angry that I’m prioritizing you over him. If I tell him it’s for work, he’ll be mad that I’m prioritizing work over him. God, if I told him that the fucking President himself asked me to take this girl in for a week, he’d tell me he couldn’t believe I would prioritize _that_ over him. I can’t win.” She felt herself getting heated and emotional. Maybe that third gin and tonic hadn’t been the best idea. 

“Eve…You know it’s not supposed to feel like that, right?” Bill laid a hand over hers, and just gently squeezed. They’d had this conversation, in one way or another, many times over the years. She looked back at him, shrugged, and handed her credit card to the waitress.

\---

“Eve, no. Just no.” Niko shook his head again and walked into the kitchen. They were on round three of Eve trying to tell Niko that they would have company starting tonight, and it was not going well. First, he had immediately asked if she’d been drinking. Strike one. Second, he asked if she had been with Bill _while_ drinking in the morning. Strike two. Now, he asked how she could seriously have offered their home to Bill’s “niece” to stay for an indefinite amount of time, starting this evening. It was going to take a _lot_ of missionary to get him over this one. 

Fuck that. This was her house too, and Bill was her best friend, and ok, obviously this wasn’t his actual niece coming but Niko didn’t know that! She hosted so many of his stupid dinner parties and his friend Tom had crashed on their couch for 2 nights when his wife had enough of his bullshit, and then his mother had stayed with them for _weeks_ when she visited from Poland. She turned towards Niko as she went upstairs and all but growled, “I wasn’t asking for permission, Niko. Bill is my best friend and he needs my help, and you better believe he’s getting it. If you have a problem, I suggest you warm Tom’s couch for a few days. I’m getting the office ready for our guest.” She heard a drawer slam, followed by the front door. Good.

Turns out getting half drunk after a night of being whole drunk and then arguing with your asshole husband really ate up the clock. Eve only had enough time to clean her research off the spare bed in her office and put on clean bedding before her new burner phone rang.

“Hi Eve.” Eve wondered if the blonde on the other end of the line could hear her sharp intake of breath. Her voice had no business being that…uh…intriguing. Or whatever. Speak, Eve.

“Hi…Natalie.” Eve heard a soft chuckle and then a bright cheery British voice announced that she had landed and was oh-so-excited to see her Uncle Bill and she was just so _thrilled_ to be staying with Eve. Eve rolled her eyes, wrote the arrival gate on her hand, and hung up to call Bill. She noted absently that she was smiling.

“Natalie” was chatty on the ride home, telling them a story about she ended up slipping some sleeping pills into the drink of a very rude man, earning her the right to do a few shots with the flight attendants after the meal service. Bill was laughing heartily and Eve was smiling along with the tale, which strangely enough did not seem to be an exaggeration. When she glanced up in the rear view, she found herself looking directly into bright, amused hazel eyes, and felt her smile widen. 

By the time they had dropped Bill off and made their way back to Eve’s row home in Graduate Hospital, Eve actually felt…light? Was that the right word for this feeling? She circled the block a few times, looking for an overnight parking spot, in a strangely companionable silence with the Russian woman. 

“What’s your name?” she blurted suddenly. 

Eyebrows raised in the rear view as their eyes met. The woman had refused to get in the front after Bill had gone in, flashing a childlike smile and insisting Eve chauffeur her to their destination, gently teasing her. Now her face looked pensive and serious. She didn’t answer immediately, and seemed to be deciding how to respond. When the silence stretched on and Eve had resigned to referring to her as “Nearly-Natalie,” she heard a soft accented, “Oksana. That is my name, that you may use when it is only us.” 

Eve had parked, and they watched each other silently in the mirror. She tried the name on her lips. “Oksana. Thank you.” She felt a little thrill at seeing Oksana’s lips turn up in a small, almost shy smile. 

As they approached Eve’s home, her stomach dropped. Lights on, windows open, dorky music drifting out into the street – Niko was home. 


	4. Homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eve brings Villanelle to her home that she shares with Niko. Shepard's Pie for dinner, of course.

Today had not gone at all as planned, and that was surprisingly excellent. Typically, she would not be amused with such an unanticipated setback, but this was different. Villanelle was confident that everything would still end the same, she was amazing afterall, but this new element, this new _person,_ was an extraordinary development. She watched Eve out of the corner of her eye while they walked towards Eve’s home. Her eyes may or may not have drifted up and over the mounds of curly hair once or twice. It was nice hair. Was that why she had told Eve her real name? Her brows furrowed for an instant. That was unlike her, and she wasn’t sure exactly what made her do it, but it felt okay in the moment.

Eve turned them down a very narrow tree-lined street, where all the row homes had bars on the windows. The drive here had been…fun. She liked making Eve laugh. She liked watching her eyes, and her mouth, and seeing what reaction she could get out of her. But now, as Eve slowed down, her demeanor changed suddenly. Her body tightened up, shoulders pulling inward as if trying to make herself smaller, less than she was. That was curious. Eve glanced back and met Villanelle’s eyes briefly with an unreadable expression before unlocking a door, walking in, and loudly announcing that they were back from the airport. 

A tall, shaggy man with an enormous mustache came around the corner to greet them. She had done her research in the time she had left the police station that morning. This was Eve’s husband, Niko, the very mustachioed private school math teacher who had a passion for playing bridge. It must be like having sex with a very large, sweaty, hairy piece of fudge.

She instantly hid her disgust under her Natalie mask, complete with winning smile and perky, charming British accent. “You must be Niko! Oh what a pleasure, and it smells just wonderful in here! I’m so pleased to meet you and thank you for hosting me while I’m visiting Uncle Bill!” She turned back to Eve. “Eve, you didn’t tell me your husband was so handsome!” Niko positively beamed at her. She felt a tinge of distaste at how he preened under her praise, but figured it was for the best if he liked her. Niko bent towards Eve for a kiss, and Villanelle was amused to see Eve turn her head so his peck landed on her cheek rather than her lips. He looked annoyed but quickly schooled his face as he turned back towards the kitchen. Villanelle quirked an eyebrow at Eve, who met her with a quick glare. Interesting.

Niko turned his head back at them from the kitchen, reaching for another beer. “It’s a pleasure to host such a lovely young lady! Please come in….um…?” 

Villanelle offered a carefully crafted innocent, goofy smile, and shyly said, “Oh my head’s just in the clouds still, isn’t it?” She held a hand out to Niko as she entered the kitchen. “I’m Natalie.” Niko shook her hand in that weird way men do when they see you as a delicate lady that shouldn’t be shaking hands. He grasped just her fingers and ran his thumb across her knuckles a little. Disgusting.

“What a beautiful name! I do hope you like Shepard’s pie, it’s a specialty of mine!”

Eve was already grabbing a bottle of wine and taking out glasses, a little aggressively. 

“Oh Niko, I hope you didn’t go through all this trouble for me, honestly!” She added a little giggle. Villanelle didn’t half-ass things, after all. In for a penny, in for a pound, or something like that anyway. She heard a glass hit the table a little hard and turned to see Eve setting three wine glasses.

“Oh, no thank you Eve. I know it’s not very British of me, but I actually don’t drink. Uncle Bill has been trying to take me for a proper pint since I was old enough for the pub!” Eve met her eyes with interest, like she was trying to determine if this was something real or something Natalie. Villanelle gave her a little shrug and turned back to Niko. “Can I help with anything Niko?”

He turned towards her, placing his hand on her shoulder as he steered her back towards the living room. “No, I won’t hear of it. You are our guest and I demand you relax until dinner is ready.” God, he was just eating this up, wasn’t he? 

Eve took a giant gulp of wine, refilled her glass, and said, “I’ll actually show you to your room while Niko is finishing dinner.” She pushed passed Villanelle, grabbing Villanelle’s small suitcase, on her way up the stairs. Villanelle flashed a last smile at Niko, and then followed Eve upstairs.

Eve turned into a smaller bedroom that had obviously been used more often as a makeshift office than a spare. The bed was clear, but the walls were absolutely covered in cork boards and bookcases stuffed with…wow. Eve turned nervously around and Villanelle realized she had said the “wow” out loud. 

Eve put her bag down at the foot of the double bed and looked around the room at what Villanelle was seeing. “I uh… Well, I lost track of time a bit after the police station and didn’t have time to clear everything up, just the bed.” 

Villanelle turned her attention back to Eve for a quick moment to gauge her. Eve looked nervous, and maybe a little embarrassed? She was difficult to read. That was annoying. It was important to approach this carefully. Villanelle ran her fingers across a crime scene photo of an older Italian man who had been stabbed in the eye with a hairpin. It was tacked up on a cork board, along with the newspaper headlines from the story. Her fingers followed a string that was attached to the pushpin, leading to another crime scene photo that was tacked onto the board. On the desk were headlines about Victor Kedrin from the local Philadelphia news. The bookshelves held books on organized crime – both fiction and non-fiction, along with psychology textbooks, and serial killer manifestos. There were books on homicide, the drug cartel, and political assassination next to journal studies of psychopaths and sociopaths. It was a library of violence. Villanelle felt her pulse quicken. She removed an article about psychopaths and manipulation from the shelf, flipped it open, and glanced up at Eve. “Have you read all of these?”

Eve’s face didn’t give anything away as she watched Villanelle. _So_ annoying. “Yes, I’ve read them all.”

Villanelle put the article back on the shelf and moved back towards Eve, crowding her, nearly pinning her to the desk as she picked up the clipped headline about Kedrin. Eve didn’t step back. Most people would’ve nervously faltered backwards, or broken eye contact at least. Not Eve. She almost looked…defiant? It was as if she was challenging Villanelle to mock her. “You are very interested in this. Why?”

Eve didn’t answer immediately as she searched Villanelle’s face, looking for a hint that Villanelle was making fun of her, or brushing her off. Villanelle filed this away for later. Eve eventually opened her mouth to answer, only to be cut off by Niko bellowing up the stairs that dinner was ready. 

\---

Eve reached for the wine bottle for the third time at the dinner table as Niko told “Natalie” another math class story. Villanelle had spent nearly all of dinner outwardly charming Niko, asking questions about his stupid, boring stories, while keeping a careful watch on Eve. Most people were so easy to figure out. Their wants and their fears were written all over them. It was in the way their eyes moved over her, or the way they preened and puffed up at a compliment or when talking about their stupid jobs, or the way the desperately watched to make sure you were listening. Reading Niko was like looking through clear glass. Eve, on the other hand, was like driving through a dense fog. A dense fog in a snowstorm with your lights on.

Eve rarely chimed in during the stories unless it was prompted by Niko, like they were putting on a performance that they had enacted many times over. Which, Villanelle reasoned, they likely had. She imagined Niko dragging Eve around to interject her lines at the proper times when he was telling this same story to parents or teachers or, God help Eve, the bridge club. She imagined him getting annoyed if Eve missed her cue or happened to be chatting to someone else while he was talking. No wonder Eve was sucking down the wine.

“And then the woman walks right up to me, standing toe to toe,” Niko paused and glanced at Eve. 

Eve, taking her cue a little belatedly said in a monotone voice, “Spilling her wine on Niko’s shoe.”

Niko spared her an annoyed glance, pointedly looking at her wine glass, before continuing with whatever it was that he was saying and cracking open another beer. Villanelle’s Natalie persona knew when to nod and when to laugh at Niko’s inane story, while Villanelle herself could study Eve. She was getting bored with this, and things rarely went well when she got bored. She was just about to ask Niko an inappropriate question just to get a reaction, when she found him looking at her expectantly. Shit. He had actually asked her something for the first time since dinner started. That was shocking, actually. She tried to replay the last few sentences that she had been half listening to, and it was easy enough to put on a confused face.

“Football? Like… American Football?”

Niko glanced from Villanelle to Eve. “Well, yes, it’s part of the “American Experience” of course! Eve must’ve mentioned she has season tickets to the Eagles. I figured she was taking you to the tailgate and the game tomorrow! It’s the home opener. I’m not much for football man myself, so she usually takes Bill, or sells the tickets if we have something special planned.” He reached over and took her hand at that and Eve actually jumped a bit. 

“Oh, Niko, I don’t think Natalie wants to spend her first full day in the States at a football game. She’s probably –”

Villanelle interrupted Eve immediately with “EVE! I would love to go with you! Uncle Bill has the baby anyway, I’m sure he won’t mind.” She smiled mischievously at Eve, earning a quick, hard look. “Will you take me shopping for a real American football jersey beforehand though?? Please Eve?” She gave Eve her most innocent, puppy eyes and Eve actually laughed for the first time since they had entered the rowhome. She had a nice laugh. 

“Okay, okay, sure. We have to be at the stadium by 10am though for the tailgate, so we’ll have to go early.” Eve smiled at her, and Villanelle caught Niko’s momentary frown. Jealousy. Eve took her plate and placed it in the sink. “Actually, it’s getting a bit late, do you want me to show you where everything is and then you can settle in?”

\---

Villanelle sat at the little office desk, browsing Eve’s internet search history and looking at her draft articles. Her password to her laptop had been “password.” _Very_ secure, Eve. Through the closed door, she could still hear muffled voices downstairs that sounded heated and angry. How had Eve ended up with a man like that? She shook her head and turned her attention back to the laptop. Eve was actually a very talented writer, and had good instincts about these stories. She caught details others hadn’t reported, but Villanelle was positive these articles hadn’t seen the light of day. She wondered why.

Villanelle continued to browse through Eve’s laptop, sucking on a jolly rancher she found in one of the desk drawers. She heard someone stomp up the stairs. Niko, no doubt, pouting about something. She clicked through another page of search history. “Female assassin.” “Female assassin active.” “Organized Crime Organization Europe Female Assassin.” Wow Eve, do you think they have a Facebook page? “Wine delivery Philadelphia.” Villanelle smiled at the thought of Eve sitting in the chair she was currently occupying, finishing a bottle, googling violent crime, and looking for someone to bring her more wine. 

She heard lighter footsteps come up the stairs, enter the bathroom, and then gently close the bedroom door. The rowhome was cozy, with Villanelle’s room sharing a wall with the master bedroom. Not long after Eve entered the room, she began to hear muffled voices again. She put the laptop down, leaning close to listen, catching bits and pieces of the louder dialogue.

She could hear Eve furiously whisper, “Niko, knock it off! No, no way. I’m tired, and we have a guest!”

Niko’s answering grumble sounded a lot like “A man has needs, Eve!” along with “C’mon, it’ll be quick.” Villanelle imagined that was the understatement of the year. How disappointing for Eve. Also, no, that just was not going to happen with Villanelle in the next room. Nope. She was out of the bed and softly knocking at Eve’s bedroom door before she even knew what she was doing.

Natalie’s soft, polite voice rang out softly. “Eve? Eve, I’m so sorry to bother you. Oh I’m just the worst guest in the world, but I can’t find a toothbrush and I simply can’t sleep without brushing my teeth. I’m so sorry, do you –” The door opened to reveal a very adorable Eve in a tattered tee shirt and ancient looking athletic shorts. She gently closed the door behind her as she crossed the hall to the bathroom.

Villanelle followed her into the bathroom. Eve picked up the packaged toothbrush off the sink, holding it up with a questioning look. 

Villanelle’s lips curled into a smirk. She dropped her Natalie accent, stepped closer to Eve, and softly said, “Oh look, there it is. I don’t know how I didn’t see that there, right out in the open like that.” Eve’s cheeks colored a little as she pieced things together. 

“Well, there it is. Are you alright now?” 

Villanelle smiled a little softer. “Are you, Eve?”

Eve rolled her eyes as she moved past Villanelle, back into the hall. “Goodnight, Oksana,” she whispered just loud enough for Villanelle to hear as she closed the bedroom door. Villanelle caught the sounds of Niko’s half snore as Eve climbed into bed. She continued to watch the bedroom door for a moment longer.

“Goodnight, Eve.”


	5. E-A-G-L-E-S

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eve delivers on her promise to take Villanelle to an Eagles game

A piercing, pain-filled scream echoed through the Polastri house. Eve opened her eyes to find herself face down on her bed, and…screaming? Oh god, arms! Where were her arms!? She felt Niko’s hands clasp her shoulders and turn her over to her back. She saw his mustache moving before her brain caught up to the words he was saying.

“Eve! Darling, what’s wro—” His mustache-laden words were rudely interrupted by a crash as the bedroom door slammed open, banging hard against the wall. The impact startled Niko so badly that he lost his balance and fell off the side of the bed.

Oksana was standing in front of her, back to the wall and crouched low, scanning the room as she called out, “EVE!? Eve! What happened?” Eve met Oksana’s wild eyes and then saw the enormous fucking knife she was brandishing. Oksana followed her gaze down to the knife, then looked back at Eve’s eyes. 

Eve cleared her throat. “I um…I fell asleep on both of my arms.”

Oksana just stared at her for a long moment, looking incredulous. She stood up a little taller and tucked the knife behind her back just as Niko popped his head up. 

“Jesus Natalie, you scared the living daylights out of me! And your voice sounded…different. Like.. Eastern European or something? Are you ok?” He rubbed at his tailbone as he stood.

Oh shit. Eve started to open her mouth, to tell Niko everything, that this wasn’t Bill’s niece, that she had lied, lied to her husband, put him in danger and…

“I had a Russian nanny who taught me how to defend myself. I guess it rubbed off a bit.” Oksana had slipped back into her Natalie persona seamlessly, like she hadn’t just kicked in Eve’s bedroom door, ready to open someone up with a huge knife. Who exactly had Eve invited into their home!? 

“I apologize for startling you, Niko! Oh you poor man. I heard the scream and instincts just kicked in, you know? But honestly, what would little old _me_ do in an emergency?” Oksana…Natalie, rather, giggled girlishly. Annoyingly, actually. “Well, I suppose I’m awake now! Eve, can you point me in the direction of a café? I’d just love to treat my hosts to coffee and pastries!” She smiled endearingly at Eve, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. She was pissed.

Eve followed Oksana out into the hallway and into the office/spare room. Oksana silently pressed the door closed behind them and then suddenly Eve was pressed very hard against the wall. She hadn’t even seen Oksana move.

“What was that, Eve! I thought someone had broken in! I could’ve stabbed you!” She pressed closer, holding Eve in place with both a forearm across her chest, and a very intense, angry gaze. “Have you ever been stabbed, Eve? It is very unpleasant.” 

Eve raised her eyebrows a bit and shrugged. Well, shrugged as much as she could under Oksana’s arm. Oksana searched her eyes for a long moment before releasing her, and seemingly released her anger as well. “You will owe me a LOT of American Football food, I think, for this. But for now, please tell me where I can get something very sweet. I do not feel like entertaining your husband this morning.”

Oksana turned from Eve to walk towards the bed. As she walked, Eve noticed that Oksana was dressed in one of Eve’s old tee shirts and …oh. She quickly glanced away, flushing a little, but Oksana had caught her looking.   
  
“Eve, I thought you were being murdered. I did not have time for pants. You are lucky I was wearing these.” She gestured to her underwear.

“Do you uh…do you always sleep with a knife and without pants?” Why was she asking this woman if she slept without pants on?! She flushed a little deeper. “Actually, don’t answer that. We really should just grab some food and coffee on our way to the Linc.”

Oksana gave a lopsided smile and said, “Do not forget, Eve. You promised me an American Football jersey to wear!”

Eve rolled her eyes as she opened the door. “You can just call it football. And yes, we will get you a jersey to wear. Promise.”

\---

“This does not look as good as I thought it would, Eve.” Oksana pouted in the dressing room doorway as Eve sipped her cold brew.

“It would probably look better with a pair of jeans instead of… well, whatever those are.” Eve gestured at Oksana’s… slacks? Pants? Trousers maybe? Either way, they were plaid and looked great with Oksana’s “casual” plaid top, but they clashed horribly with Eagles green. Eve nearly laughed at Oksana’s indignant huff as she turned back into the dressing room, closing the door a little harder than necessary. 

“I want to try on yours.” Eve stared hard at the dressing room door, sure she had misheard. Oksana opened the door a fraction, just enough so Eve could see her bare shoulder. 

“Give me yours, I want to try it on to see if I like it better than this one.”

“What!? No! It’s mine and it’s lucky and..” Oksana started to open the dressing room door farther, as if to come out and argue. Correction, she was going to come out _topless_ to argue. “Ok stop, ok ok, fine, here try it on but you are NOT wearing it.”

Ten minutes later, Eve left the store with a new jersey for herself and Oksana wore a pair of new jeans that really did go well with Eve’s lucky black Dawkins jersey. The whole ensemble looked especially good when Oksana flashed a smile over her shoulder as she ran to a gumball machine with Eve’s quarter. Eve let her eyes wander, just a little. Oh, Bill would have a field day with this, she was sure. 

They made it the tailgate parking lot later than Eve and Bill usually would, but there was still plenty of time to get a few drinks and hopefully a burger at Jimmy’s tailgate. It was turning out to be a beautiful September day – bright, clear and ideal football weather. It wasn’t humid and hot, thank god. Eve took a deep breath and closed her eyes. It was perfect for the home opener. Oksana shifted the case of beer that she insisted on carrying and asked where they were going. Eve led them towards a group of rowdy men grilling and drinking outside of an RV. 

“POLASTRI! YOU’RE LATE!” A large, shirtless, and mostly green man rushed over to them. He grabbed the case of beer from Oksana, smacked a loud kiss on Eve’s cheek, leaving a little green smudge, and called out, “Who’s this young thing? New recruit!? And…” He audibly gasped. “She’s wearing your Dawkins jersey!? Eve!!”

“Hey Jimmy, this is my friend, Natalie. She’s visiting and wanted to see a game, so… here we are!” She motioned to the case in his hands. “Hit me with one of those, will you? It’s been a long week.”

Jimmy’s easy laugh boomed. “Ain’t it always. Pleasure to meet you, Natalie. Take care of that damn jersey! That thing got us a SuperBowl ring!” He gestured for them to follow him into the throng of mostly men. Some were grilling, some were drinking, and others were playing cornhole. Eve opened her beer, passing a bottle of water to Oksana, and followed Oksana’s gaze to the cornhole game. 

“You wanna play?” 

Oksana’s eyes lit up as she nodded. She leaned in close, so only Eve could hear the rolling R’s and sultry ( _sultry??_ ) tone. “Eve, I am very excellent at dung throwing. This will be very easy.”

Eve laughed, loudly. Jimmy caught her eye and raised an eyebrow. Eve wasn’t usually one to laugh out loud. She smiled at him, looked back at Oksana who was already palming a beanbag with a look of complete concentration, and Eve grinned. This felt… fun and light. She kind of wished Bill was here for it.

“So are we just not answering our texts today, or is this going to be an on-going thing?” Eve turned around to see Bill opening a beer of his own as he came to stand next to her. He nodded towards Oksana, who was glaring dangerously at Jimmy as he explained how she had stepped past the line and her shot didn’t count. “I see my niece made it out today.” He side-eyed her with a little grin. “I also see why you aren’t bothering with your phone,” he said, adding a little wink just in case she was completely daft. Eve may have been tempted to deny it, if it was anyone but Bill. As it was, she lifted her bottle for a quick cheers as they watched Oksana completely miss the board.

As it turns out, Oksana was a quick study. She and Jimmy were soon running the boards, and with every win, she would turn towards Eve with a broad smile, making sure she was still watching. It was kind of…cute. Eve and Bill chatted, drinking beers in the sun, and watching Oksana and Jimmy destroy anyone who dared challenge them. Especially satisfying was when a couple of NY douchebags challenged “the chick and the gay guy” to a game for $20. Jimmy’s husband sauntered over to Bill and Eve, bringing fresh beers. “Look at the two of them. They’re peas in a pod, aren’t they? Competitive as hell and completely without mercy.” He glanced at Bill. “No offense, Bill, but will your niece be coming regularly? Gives me a break from that man’s obsession with winning, honestly.” He looked over at Jimmy, who waved and blew him a kiss. Oksana waved and blew a kiss in their general direction as well.

When it was time to head in to their seats, Bill good naturedly gave Oksana some tips on handling Eve in the stadium. “Keep her away from Giants fans after her 2nd gin and tonic, it won’t end well for them. Oh! And make sure she eats something by halftime or you’ll be carrying her out of there.” He stage whispered, “And if you want a real treat, listen to her sing the fight song after that 2nd gin and tonic.” He grimaced and mimicked plugging his ears. Eve gave him a swat as they walked towards the stadium.

Jimmy and some of the guys had seats in the endzone, but Eve’s season tickets were hand-me-downs from her uncle and the seats were mid-field. Pretty damn good seats, honestly, and any time she couldn’t make a game, they sold for a nice little profit. When they split off from the group, Oksana bumped her arm and said, “This is fun, Eve.” She looked hesitant for a moment. “Thank you, for bringing me. I like them. Bill is funny. And Jimmy is a very loud and annoying American, but he is good at throwing beanbags and he does not like to lose. I think I will be better than him soon, though.” She grinned at Eve, and kept close as they walked through the stadium, brushing her hand every so often…accidentally, Eve was sure. 

Eve got a double gin and tonic, for economic reasons she told herself, and definitely not because she was feeling a little nervous to be alone with Oksana. Oksana sat wide-eyed, looking around at everything. The stadium was full and loud and the fans were rowdy. Typical Philly, and Eve loved it, and loved seeing it through Oksana’s eyes. The seats were packed tight together. Oksana’s long legs spread out in front of her, with her knee pressed against Eve’s. Eve could feel the heat where they touched, somehow both electric and comforting at the same time. She would’ve moved, maybe, or could’ve moved, but it was…warm. And comfortable and uncomfortable and…

“Eve! Is it starting? What is happening??”

Everyone had started to stand and Eve pulled Oksana up with her as the Eagles kicked off, and the crowd roared. Outside of playoffs, the home opener was Eve’s favorite game of the year and she felt honestly excited to share this with Oksana. She decided to file that away for later. Niko had zero interest in football and the one time she had brought him, he whined nearly the whole game about the seats, about Jimmy, about the food, about the beer, about the drink prices – you name it, he hated it. Oksana was teeming with energy, resting her hand on Eve’s arm as she stood on her tiptoes to see what was happening. 

The crowd cheered with wild abandon as the Eagles special teams put an especially hard hit on the Giants kickoff returner, knocking him flat on his back so hard that Eve thought they could hear the crash from the stands. 

Oksana gripped her arm a little tighter and looked back at Eve with wide, excited eyes. “Eve… Eve this is very violent.” Her grin widened. “I like it.” 

As it turned out, Oksana was a good spectator, appreciating the violent hits and the struggle for power at the line of scrimmage. She smiled appreciatively and whistled at a particularly nice sack. Her excitement was palpable, and infectious it seemed. Young men in their section sought Oksana for high fives and complimented her Dawkins jersey. Unfortunately for them, Oksana’s focus was almost evenly split between the game and Eve, much to their disappointment. 

At the bottom of her double G&T, Eve felt a gentle tug on the back of her head as Oksana slipped her hair tie out of her hair. When Eve looked over at her, Oksana just shrugged with a smile, and turned back to the game, pressing her knee and thigh closer to Eve as they sat in their seats. Eve felt her body moving closer to Oksana, and decided to let it do what it wanted. She was drawn towards the younger woman, and the “why” of that was best left to sober Eve, not Eagles Eve. 

Eve studied Oksana’s profile. Strong jawlines, flawless skin, hair pulled back into a messy but perfect bun. She watched as Oksana brought her fingers to her parted lips for another whistle, and wow, her lips were full and perfect and… She did not react nearly fast enough to Oksana turning her head. Eve tried to snap her eyes back up to Oksana’s eyes, but judging by Oksana’s lazy smile, she definitely did not succeed. 

Oksana reached down to grip Eve’s arm, and leaned in closer. Eve stopped breathing, unsure of what was happening. Her eyes darted back down to Oksana’s lips on their own accord. Oksana’s lazy smile turned into a mischievous smirk as she said, “Eve, I think there is a break now. You owe me a _lot_ of American Football food, remember?” Eve’s head was a little foggy, and her heart was racing, whether from the booze or from… probably the booze. She vowed to get a light beer next, no more G&Ts. 

They stood in line for drinks, Oksana eagerly dipping another crab fry into cheese. Eve was honestly impressed by Oksana’s endless appetite. She had already housed a Schmitter and a soft pretzel, and was busy putting a huge dent in the crab fries. She ate like someone might come along at any minute to take it from her, and Eve had no doubt that the person who was dumb enough to try would find themselves on their back.

“And where are you from, gorgeous?” Eve felt a hand land on her shoulder as a drunk, stale-breathed man inched closer to her in line. 

Eve pulled her arm away. “Philly.” The man was wearing a Vick jersey over a little pot belly, complete with a mustard stain. His dark hair looked like it hadn’t been washed, or maybe he’d just been sweating all day. It smelled like it could be both.

He smiled at her. “No babe, where are you _really_ from?” This again? Gross. She glanced back at Oksana, who was oblivious, hand reaching deeper into the giant cup of crab fries.

“Not interested.” Eve tried to put some space between her and the drunk ass, but he reached back out and grabbed onto her forearm, turning her towards him. 

“Don’t be like that, gorgeous. I love eating Chinese.” He winked at her. She was about to grab Oksana to jump into one of the other booze lines to get away from this creep, when she felt an arm snake around her waist. Oksana had tossed her crab fries in the trash and was now sidling up to Eve.

“Hi baby, how are we still waiting for drinks?” Oksana’s body language and accent had adjusted into something completely different and… oh Jesus, New York? She was doing some ridiculous New York character at the Giants game? Wearing _her_ lucky Dawkins jersey?? Oksana looked Vick-Jersey-Guy up and down, not bothering to hide her annoyance or scrunched nose. “Do you need something?”

He was a little slow on the uptake, but eventually the arm around the waist and the “baby” seemed to click. “Oh, oh! I think maybe you two need something, if you know what I mean. And I got exactly what you’re missing.” He winked again and put his arms up and around both Oksana and Eve. Oh, this just got grosser. 

Oksana’s eyes turned dangerous as she removed his arms slowly from their shoulders, and gave him a healthy poke in the chest. “Uh, no. We definitely do not need that. We are very content without any of that.” She gestured up and down at him with her hand and a look like she had just eaten something rotten. “Definitely not. No. You should leave.”

He got a nasty look in his eye. “Fucking dykes don’t know what’s good for you.” Eve didn’t even realize she had lunged at the man until Oksana caught her wrist, stopping her fist from connecting with the man’s nose. He blinked a second too late and Eve was disappointed. She could almost feel her fist breaking his nose, how it would crunch and how the blood would flow down his lips. He was slow and disgusting, it wouldn’t even be a challenge. She felt Oksana leading her away from the man and the line, and her rage simmered down enough to feel a little embarrassed.

“I’m sorry, that was stupid,” Eve mumbled towards the ground. 

To her surprise, Oksana laughed. “Eve, are you serious? If I did not want more of the crab fries, we could have taken turns punching him until he choked on his disgusting words.” She paused for a moment, and shrugged. “Also, I know you like it here. I do not want you to get in trouble. I am looking out for you, that is all.” 

Eve realized she had been expecting Niko’s stern disappointment, like she was acting like a naughty student. Bad wife, no Shepard’s Pie for you tonight. Niko, who would’ve criticized Eve for her lack of control before he would’ve defended her against a disgusting man like that. But here was Oksana, not judging and not blaming her outburst on gin instead of on a very gross man. She smiled, and Oksana matched her smile before pulling her aside.

Oksana’s eyes shined with mischief. “Besides, Eve, I do not think he will have a very good day without this.” She pulled a ticket out of her pocket. 

Eve barked a laugh. “You took his ticket? Ha! He probably has an electronic copy on his phone, but it’s the thought that counts.”

Oksana rolled her eyes. “Eve, please.” She pulled a smartphone out of her other pocket and waved it at Eve. “Should we send pictures of our tits to his wife?” Oksana waggled her eyebrows, coaxing another laugh out of Eve. Okay, so she was officially impressed. She definitely hadn’t seen Oksana lift his phone or the ticket, and she was sure the man was just realizing the loss himself, and cursing them. And it felt _good_.

The crowd was stirring to attention, likely because the 3rd quarter was starting. Oksana seemed to read her mind. She dumped the phone into a full pint of beer belonging to a Giants fan as they walked back to their seats. Eve caught snippets of the fan’s angry outburst, but she and Oksana just kept on, with Oksana flashing that damn perfect smile at her. She couldn’t help but grin back. Eve hadn’t felt this _present_ in so long. She hadn’t felt…well, she hadn’t really felt much at all. She didn’t even miss the drink she hadn’t been able to get. Oksana settled back into her seat, leg pressed against Eve’s purposefully this time, and Eve felt something stirring awake inside her. 


	6. The Deep End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eve tries to get the full story from Oksana, with a few unanticipated interruptions.

If Eve believed in hell, Niko’s horrifying alarm on Monday mornings had to be in the demon top 10 favorite tortures. Not only was it set to some annoyingly upbeat and LOUD Polish tune, but he set it earlier than he needed so he could cuddle up to Eve and then snooze the alarm at least twice. Niko was a morning person, of course. The one time she tried to suggest that maybe he not wake her up at the crack of dawn for a morning cuddle session, he had just about sobbed. The near-sobbing quickly turned into “why don’t you care about me,” and she had backed down, blaming her criticism on being hungover from the night before. Just like she had given in last night after she and Oksana finally made it home, and Niko finally got his sweaty, grunty, and wholly unsatisfying (for her anyway) missionary quota for the week. 

Niko snoozed his alarm and predictably swung a big arm over her, pulling her close. He sighed contentedly behind her. Well, at least one of them was happy. It was often impossible for her to get back to sleep after these early morning cuddle marathons. Eve wasn’t a great sleeper in the best of times and she had barely been able to turn off her brain last night, thinking of the intense, stony glare Oksana had given the man in the Vick jersey, how quick and skilled her hands must be to lift his phone and the ticket without his notice, and wondering how many other personas lived within her. She had so many questions for the young blonde. 

Niko’s large hand moved to cup one of her breasts as he shifted closer. When had this stopped being romantic and cute, and started feeling like suffocation? It was probably when Niko refused to listen to or even consider her feelings, she supposed. He was a sweet man as long as his sweetness was properly appreciated by Eve, and as long as everything was as it should be according to his idea of normal. 

Eve’s thoughts turned to Oksana’s palpable excitement during the game, her insatiable appetite, her laugh, her smile, small touches, the way she released Eve’s hair from her ponytail and pressed her leg to Eve’s while they were seated. She shifted a little uncomfortably in bed. Niko’s physical presence was competing with Oksana’s presence in her mind, and it was leaving her feeling something she wasn’t really ready to name...or to think about at all really. She all but threw Niko’s arm off and swung her legs out of bed. Niko let his confusion and hurt show, but Eve just mumbled that she had to get an early start today. Never mind that even when she had an enormous story breaking, she typically was not out of bed on a Monday before him. In fact, he usually had to coax her out with a strong cup of coffee and on really bad days, a croissant.

Eve got ready mechanically, her brain jumping from one question to another as her body went through the motions of her morning routine. She was feeling guilty, like she and Oksana had played hooky yesterday instead of focusing on Kedrin’s murder. She had checked in with the federal agents late last night to tell them she was still getting the details from Oksana. In reality, she had almost completely forgotten why Oksana was here. 

US federal agents were not chatty, so she wasn’t sure if she was “in trouble” or not. Admittedly she was more than a little buzzed by the time she remembered what she was supposed to be doing. She also had to wrestle with Oksana to stop her from sending the agents pictures of her tits. Why was the girl so obsessed with her tits?! Granted, they were nice. Not that Eve had noticed. Nope. And she definitely had not found herself stealing glances at Oksana more and more as the day wore on. Not that Oksana would mind. She seemed to be very aware of how attractive she was, and happy enough to fluster Eve whenever the chance arose.

“Eve, did you hear me?” Eve swung her attention from her coffee cup, where she had been completely zoned out, back up to Niko who was dressed and evidently leaving for school. He frowned at her. “Eve, are you sure you’re alright? You seem a little…off. Do you need me to call out today?”

Eve’s knee jerk reaction was to scream “NO!” but she held it together to smile at Niko and explain that she just had a big story due and she was preoccupied. It wasn’t a lie. She found she _was_ very preoccupied. She lifted herself out of the stool to give him a quick peck and hustle him out the door. She was turning the lock on the door and wondering how long she should wait before actively trying to wake Oksana by clanging pans or stepping on that squeaky floorboard. She was imagining dropping a dish just outside Oksana’s door when the sound of a coffee cup hitting the counter startled her out of her thoughts.

She turned to see Oksana pouring coffee with a dramatic yawn. “Good morning, Eve.” She was wearing Eve’s old tee shirt again and…and also not wearing bottoms again. Eve snapped her eyes back up and blurted, “I didn’t hear you come downstairs.”

“I have been awake for ages, Eve. Niko’s alarm is very annoying, and very loud.” She pouted and gave another theatrical yawn. “Your walls are very thin, Eve.” She looked pointedly at Eve with the hint of a smile playing about her lips. “ _Very_ thin.”

Oh. She could feel the blood rising to her cheeks, and grabbed her coffee cup in an attempt to regain her composure. 

“It sounded like Niko had a nice time, but I did not hear you,” Oksana continued. She raised her eyebrows at Eve, leaning her elbows on the counter with her chin in her hand. “Women are typically more vocal when they are with me,” she said matter-of-factly. Images of Oksana with a woman flooded her mind, and she could feel her face getting redder by the second. She could feel other things too, but she was very definitely not thinking about those types of er…feelings… while Oksana was staying here. She needed to get this story quickly. The sooner the better. That would be the best for everyone. This was getting a little out of control. 

Oksana seemed to be studying her for a reaction and Eve hoped her face had betrayed nothing of the storm under the surface. Oksana had a way of getting under her skin. She was perceptive, and quick, and smart and… ok stop, Eve. Eve struggled to maintain her outward composure. “I’ll keep the thin walls in mind for next time. I suppose it’s a good thing that Niko’s mother is nearly deaf.” Oksana gave her a lopsided smile as she sipped her coffee and Eve actually felt her heart skip. That kind of nonsense only happened in movies, didn’t it? She decided that changing the subject to work was definitely safer than where this conversation was going. “I have to run into the office to grab a recorder and my work laptop before we start our interviews today.”

“No.”

Eve looked up at Oksana with a question on her lips but Oksana just held up a hand. “I do not want to be recorded, Eve, and I am not staying here alone while you go get your laptop. You can take notes. You will be like an old-timey investigator, yes? I’m sure it will be very sexy. Do you have glasses?” Eve rolled her eyes in what she hoped was dismissive and cool, waited a moment, and then eventually nodded.

“Fine, but I do need to go into the office at some point today, so maybe after Niko gets home…” She trailed off as she saw Oksana scrunch up her nose and pull a face. Eve sighed. “Or… you can come with me.” Oksana beamed at her, and Eve heaved another sigh, as she gathered her coffee and started to head upstairs. “Alright, well, all of my research is in the office, so let’s start there.”

It occurred to her a little late that “the office” was really just a bedroom with a desk and only one chair and a bed and it smelled like Oksana and wow, Eve really needed to get a grip. She pulled out the information she had been able to gather on Kedrin, added the photos of the Italian man, and on instinct, she also added the newspaper story about the “accidental death” of the man who got his tie caught in the elevator. She watched Oksana’s face carefully as she laid the photos and stories on the desk. There was something there, in her eyes, as she ran her finger along the image of the hairpin jutting out from the Italian man’s eye. It almost looked like…admiration? Excitement? Eve’s pulse quickened a bit, but she bit down on the inside of her cheek, resolute on letting Oksana break the silence.

Eventually Oksana seemed to remember herself, pulling her hand back and asking, “Why do are you showing me these photos, Eve?” She _almost_ managed to keep her voice even, but Eve had been holding her breath, waiting for even the slightest reaction. Oksana, who had been flip and childlike and even a little obnoxious for 2 days was trying very hard to feign disinterest. That alone sent Eve’s mind racing.

Eve leaned in to flip a page of one of the stories. “There are no photos of the Kedrin crime scene that I can get my hands on, which is suspicious enough by itself, but I have a source that says the scene was very bloody. I think he bled out. I don’t believe for a second that he had a heart attack.” She leaned across Oksana and grabbed a medical book, flipping open to a well-worn page on major arteries. She pointed to the femoral artery. “I think someone, a very skilled someone, severed his femoral artery so quickly and nonchalantly that no one on the street even realized what had happened until he collapsed. I also have it on good authority that he traveled with a security detail, who I think were instrumental in putting such a tight lid on this.” She took a breath, and looked back at Oksana. “I also think the killer was a woman.” 

Oksana’s lips twitched at this, but she didn’t react further as she asked, “Why do you think that?” 

“Kedrin was a misogynist and a known sex trafficker, even if he was never brought to justice for it. He was high profile, and not much liked by anyone, even his own government. A severed femoral artery is an up close and personal attack, and Kedrin and his men would never let anyone get close enough for that – unless it was a woman. He wouldn’t see a woman as a threat.” Eve watched Oksana’s face as she relayed her hard-won research. Oksana’s face remained impassive, so Eve took a gamble as she continued. She brought the Italian man’s photo closer again. That one had seemed to garner special attention from Oksana. “I think that the woman who killed Kedrin is responsible for other murders.” Eve tapped the hairpin in the photo. “All difficult assassinations, all clean kills but with a certain flourish that makes them stand out, like she has a personality.” Oksana’s eyebrow raised at this. Eve pushed on. “I think whoever she is, she is exceptionally bright, with remarkable talent.”

Oksana opened her mouth to speak, then looked away and licked her lips. She tried again, this time with her mask of disinterest back in place. “That is a little morbid, Eve.” She stared off towards Eve’s book shelf, absently running her fingers back and forth on the glossy photo of the hairpin sticking out of the man’s eye.

Shit, she had fucked this up, read everything wrong. Something about Oksana had made her think for a moment…ah but that was stupid. Oksana was a _source_ , and now she had creeped her out by admiring the work of a murderer. 

An apology was on the tip of her tongue as Oksana’s eyes met hers again, and Oksana all but whispered, “What else?”

Eve felt a chill run down her spine, not from fear, but raw excitement. She maintained the eye contact. “I know this woman is determined. Hardworking.”

“What else?”

She barely registered that she had lowered herself to the bed, and was leaning forward towards Oksana. “I know she’s an extraordinary person. Very intelligent.”

“What else?”

She hesitated. “I think something happened to her.”

Oksana’s demeanor didn’t change, but Eve felt something start to shift, like she was entering dangerous territory. Her eye contact was intense, her attention rapt, with Eve as her singular focus. “What else.” It wasn’t a question, it was a challenge.

Somewhere in Eve’s mind, alarm bells were ringing. If she was right about her hunch, she may not survive her next sentence. She swallowed. Oksana’s eyes were still bright, but not with the joy Eve had seen yesterday. These were the eyes of a predator, dark ringed irises watching for the first sign of weakness. Eve was determined not to give it to her. That was the trick with dogs, right?? Maintain eye contact, don’t show weakness, uh..protect your belly? The alarm bells in her head rang louder. Oksana seemed to lose focus, blinking her eyes quickly as if she could hear them too. 

“Eve? Are you going to answer that?” Oksana gestured towards Eve’s ringing cellphone. Oh.

Eve barely got the word “Hello” out before Bill began tearing into her. 

“Eve, did you bloody well forget about your job??”

“Bill, hey, no, but you know I have… well I have, you know, and I need to get this story.”

Bill nearly roared. “Not this morning you don’t, or did you forget our staff meeting with Frank and the investor he’s brought in today?? Get. Your. Arse. Here. Now. You have 25 minutes.” He disconnected as Eve jumped off the bed, crashing into the door as she ran to get changed into more investor-meeting appropriate attire.

After she had pulled on the least wrinkled, or at best the least smelly, work clothes she could find, tamed her hair, put on some semblance of makeup, and sprayed some weird body mist that Niko had bought her to hide any lingering smells, she rushed downstairs. She found Oksana dressed impeccably in a pinstriped suit, holding her bag, her phone, and her house keys. 

“I ordered an Uber. He is outside waiting. Let’s go.”

“Oksana, no, you stay here.”

“Eve, I am going with you and you do not have time to lose this argument. And you would lose. So.” She held the door open for Eve. She was a pain in the ass, but at least she was a courteous pain in the ass.

Eve and Oksana arrived at the office with a full 3 minutes to spare before the meeting. It was just enough time for Bill to give her an incredulous look, for her to answer with a shrug and sit Oksana forcefully at her work desk with a strict “stay” command.

The meeting was inane and unnecessary. Bill and Eve were paraded in front of the investor as the investigative reporters who hit the hard stories, unafraid to take on the world. Eve mentally scoffed. If only Frank would let her publish half of what she wanted, maybe that would be true. 

Frank was eyeing Eve and Bill, as he was escorting the investor out of the conference room, presumably for a tour. Eve heard him utter, “I apologize, they don’t normally look this sweaty,” as he walked away.

Bill pulled her aside and furiously whispered, “Why is she here Eve!? Don’t you have a home?”

Eve sighed. “Your ‘niece,’ Bill, is an enormous asshole and refuses to be left alone in the house. Are you sure you’re not actually related?” Bill barked a laugh. “I just need to get this story and then she’s off to wherever she came from.”

Bill gave a grumpy grunt, as he was wont to do, and they made their way back towards the desk area so Eve could collect Oksana.

A cheery British accent greeted them as they entered. “Oh Elena, you are just the best. Of course! I can’t wait!” Oksana/Natalie waved to Eve and Bill as they entered the office. “Oh Eve, Elena has just invited me to join all of you tonight for the Monday Karaoke Club! How exciting!” 

Elena chimed in. “Bill, honestly, you have this charming niece stashed all the way across the Atlantic and you weren’t even going to bring her out for Monday Karaoke Club??” She aimed a good-natured swat at Bill’s shoulder as she turned her attention back to Natalie. “Well babe, it’s this little Korean place that has amazing Korean BBQ and even better drink specials on Mondays. And it’s September after a home game, so Eve here is 100% going to need a little hair of the dog to even out. She’s a bear on Mondays.” Elena laughed and “Natalie” joined her. Eve grumbled at them. This just got better and better, honestly.

Eve nearly dragged Oksana out of the office, after a litany of protests from Elena. Oksana fell into step easily next to Eve as they walked back towards Eve’s house.

“You know we aren’t going, right? Tell me you know we can’t go.” 

She could actually feel Oksana’s grin without even glancing over at her. “Eve, I think that would be very out of character for Natalie. She was so excited to be invited.” She pulled a piece of paper out of her back pocket. “And, Elena gave Natalie her number.” Eve did glance over at this, and Oksana mimed a thoughtful pose. “Do you think Elena is bi, Eve?” Eve turned away and walked faster. “Eve, you did not answer. I have not been on a date since… Hmm. Well, since yesterday actually, but that woman ended up in bed with a man who has made very unfortunate facial hair decisions. I need a rebound, I think.”

“That was NOT a date, Oksana,” Eve huffed, walking faster.

Oksana kept pace easily, which annoyed Eve further. “Eve, you bought me food and we watched a show. I think this is the definition of a date.”

“I… No. That’s not…It wasn’t a date!” Eve was getting flustered, for no reason at all. It wasn’t a date obviously, she was married for Christ’s sake and anyway, Oksana must be at least 15 years younger than her and—Eve’s foot caught on the uneven sidewalk as she was nearly running away from Oksana. She had a brief vision of blood and skinned palms and torn knees just before she felt a strong arm reach around her waist, pulling her backwards and off her feet, secured against a lean frame.

Eve’s heart was hammering in her chest and her breaths were shallow. That could’ve been bad. She realized her hand was gripped over Oksana’s, Oksana’s gold ring feeling cool under her fingertips as she squeezed for balance.

A voice close to her ear sent her blood rushing everywhere, and oh boy she meant _everywhere_. “Eve.” God, something about the way her name rolled off her tongue was… mmm. It was… “Eve, you are hurting my fingers. Are you okay now?”

Eve extracted herself from Oksana’s arm, letting go of her hand, and mumbled a thanks towards the ground.

Oksana hummed. “Eve, I have saved your life. Now you cannot say no to karaoke. It is like a social contract or something.” 

Eve sighed. She was sure she couldn’t win this argument either, but if she was being honest, the thought of a quiet evening at home with Niko and Oksana was not tempting. A quiet evening at home with just Niko wasn’t tempting either. That was part of the reason her friends had invented the Monday Karaoke Club. It was just terrible luck that Niko, as it turns out, loves to try his hand at K-Pop, much to the amusement of the club owners. At least Eve got a break from him while he was up on stage. She had drunkenly suggested once that he try “I’d Do Anything for Love” one night, forgetting about the female part the he insisted she do with him. 

“Fine. We will go. But you will behave and tomorrow, you give me the entire story, you understand?”

Oksana smirked, straightened, and gave her a salute. “Yes, Boss.” 

\---

Crammed into the back of a Prius, pressed tight against both Oksana and Niko, Eve was sure her nausea wasn’t only because the Uber driver seemed to be morally against slowing down for a red light until the absolute last second. Niko’s countenance had visibly soured when Eve greeted him after work with the news that Oksana would be coming to Monday Karaoke Club, and Oksana’s veneer of patience for Niko had worn paper thin. She supposed it had been a mistake to ask Niko if he was sure he wanted to come this week. If his stormy expression and Oksana’s triumphant grin were anything to go by, she had definitely done something.

She shifted uncomfortably on her middle-seat perch, thinking that she should’ve just hopped up front with the driver. On one side was her perfectly nice husband, a steady and familiar presence. On the other side was Oksana, brazenly pressing the length of her leg, her hip, her arm, and her shoulder against Eve, even though there was obviously plenty of room in the backseat to ensure they would have minimal contact. The contrast between the different sides of her body was maddening. Niko was steady, cool, and unmoving. Oksana was chaotic energy barely bottled, hot and bubbling just under the surface, poured into an ungodly amazing suit. It was honestly criminal how good she looked.

Eve let out a breath as they pulled up to the Korean BBQ/Karaoke bar. “Natalie” threw Eve a grin as she rushed out of the Uber and made a beeline for Elena. The sudden cool September air felt frigid compared to the searing heat of Oksana pressed against her. The loss was jarring, in more ways than one. Oksana turned her eyes towards Eve, forcing Eve to realize she hadn’t moved out of the car and had been watching Oksana with God only knows what type of look on her face. She was getting more comfortable with the idea of not caring. Oksana looked shocked to meet Eve’s eyes, making Eve wonder how often Oksana watched her when she wasn’t looking. Oksana gave her a quick lopsided grin, an expression that seemed to be for Eve and Eve alone, before she turned back to Elena to compliment her outfit.

The bar was owned by friends of Eve’s parents, a very sweet couple that Eve had known pretty much since birth. Monday Night Karaoke Club had started with just Eve and her crew, but had kind of taken off since then. The Ohs had thrown in some fun new drink specials to draw in the crowds, but always kept a booth reserved for Eve’s group. Eve finally got out of the Uber, and was greeted by Bill’s sly grin and raised brows. Oh for fuck’s sake, so he had DEFINITELY noticed how she was looking at Oksana. Perfect. She was never going to live any of this down. She glanced at Oksana again, turned back to Bill and shrugged. Neither could keep a straight face. 

The lightness Eve felt with Bill was in stark contrast to how she felt when Niko brushed by her, foregoing the typical greetings with the group and walking through the door. He was obviously in a mood already. Oksana fell in next to Eve as they walked into the bar, her hand brushing Eve’s, like she missed their closeness in the car. 

Mrs. Oh spotted them as they entered and rushed over to say hello. She took both of Eve’s hands in hers in greeting. Niko nodded towards Mrs. Oh and flopped moodily into the booth. Everyone else filed by with a smile and nod for Mrs. Oh. Eve’s friends adored the bar owners, but the language barrier usually meant communicating in smiles, nods, and gestures only. Mrs. Oh steered Eve towards to the specials board for Eve’s consideration. Eve always tried at least one of the specials, usually on the house, no matter how often she insisted on paying. Tonight’s special cocktail was Beet Tea YES, which not only sounded pretty great but made Eve laugh. 

Eve felt a presence at her side, and started when she saw that Oksana hadn’t gone to the table with everyone else. Oksana bowed her head to Mrs. Oh and greeted her in perfect Korean, complimenting her on the establishment. Eve’s jaw dropped as she stared at the young woman. Mrs. Oh beamed and waved her husband over. Eve barely recovered her senses enough to politely introduce Oksana to the couple, belated realizing she had introduced her as _Oksana_ and not as _Natalie_. Oksana didn’t seem to mind and actually seemed a little pleased at the mistake. The foursome chatted amiably as Mr. Oh made and poured them Beet Tea YES cocktails. The situation felt surreal to Eve. How did a 20 something Russian woman come to speak perfect Korean? She thought again about what else she didn’t know about Oksana, wondering what else hid beneath the surface. And what else Oksana was hiding.

She watched as Oksana poured refills for both Mr. and Mrs. Oh, and then Eve. She was charming, and polite, and it was…well, it was really nice. Niko had been cordial enough with the Ohs, but never made much of an effort beyond leaving a good Yelp review when the place was just starting out. Watching Mr. and Mrs. Oh’s faces as they spoke with Oksana, and how happy they were, gave Eve a wave of feeling that she hadn’t realized she missed. She wanted someone to make the effort to get to know them because they were important to her, and she hadn’t really realized it until someone actually did, even for a moment. 

The bar was becoming more crowded, and a few college kids were already picking songs and nailing down their karaoke slots. Eve and Oksana grabbed a few pitchers of beer to take back to the table, Oksana thanking the couple again for the drinks and congratulating them on the successful business. Mrs. Oh pulled Eve aside quickly to ask if Oksana was single, and reminded Eve that she had both a grandson and a bisexual granddaughter who could do worse than a nice girl that spoke Korean so well. The brief tightness in Eve’s chest sure felt a lot like jealousy, but that would be just silly.

Oksana bumped Eve’s shoulder on the way back to the table. “They are very nice, Eve.” Oksana gave Eve a side eye and a smirk. “Did I hear Mrs. Oh say something about a granddaughter? Maybe Philadelphia is not so bad after all.” Oksana’s silky laugh at the look on Eve’s face took on a higher pitch as they neared the table, fully transforming into Natalie’s perky giggle. 

Oksana poured beers for the table while Eve settled into the booth next to Niko. Kenny grabbed his pint and took a big swig as Elena listed off different Madonna choices. Oksana sipped on a glass of water and was surprisingly keeping up with Bill as he listed out the best dives in London. Obviously she knew her way around the city. Eve filed that information for later, one more question to add to her growing list. Niko was still sulky, but he was warming up, thanks to Elena’s infectious good mood. She really was a life saver, that one.

The drinks continued to flow. Elena did a very stirring rendition of “Like a Prayer,” with both their table and a table of older millennials giving her an exuberant standing ovation. Oksana fit in perfectly with their crew. She talked tech with Kenny, gave Bill some shit in German about his time in Berlin (in German!? How many languages did this woman know??) and even got a smile out of Niko when she mentioned a Polish band that she enjoyed. Eve met her eyes often, supporting her suspicion that they were watching each other, and not exactly casually as the night went on.

Elena had made an appearance at the millennials’ table and from the way a few heads craned to watch her walk back, she had made quite the impression. Oksana jumped up to give her a hug and announced that such a performance certainly required a round of shots for the table and she wouldn’t hear any argument about it. She glanced at Eve just as Eve was rising from her spot, offering to help carry the drinks back. 

The bar was crowded, even more so than usual even, and Eve felt a stab of pride for the Ohs. The place had really taken off and the two bartenders could barely keep up, forcing Mr. Oh to start mixing drinks too. She and Oksana walked in silence towards the line of people waiting for drinks and Eve felt Oksana’s hand brush hers again. She was turning to ask Oksana how she possibly knew German AND Korean, when a few strums of acoustic guitar sounded and a group of college kids rushed towards the makeshift stage, knocking Eve backwards off balance. Eve felt an arm steady her around her back, almost like she was being dipped during a dance routine. She knew she had been about to say something, but thoughts were refusing to come. They were completely enveloped by the crowd now, pressed tighter together and Eve realized her hand was grasping Oksana’s elbow. They stood nearly nose to nose as the crowd started singing along with the duo on the stage. Oh how Philly loved Bradley Cooper. 

_Tell me something, girl  
Are you happy in this modern world?  
Or do you need more?  
Is there something else you're searching for?_

Oksana made a humming noise in her throat and leaned closer. “This is a good song, Eve.” She searched Eve’s eyes for a moment. “Are _you_ happy?” Eve felt her chest nearly heaving with the need to breathe. It was electric, being so close, touching, and looking straight into Oksana’s eyes. Whether it was the alcohol or just that she didn’t feel like fighting it anymore, she realized she didn’t really care to hide what she was feeling from herself. And what she was feeling was Want. With a capital W. It must’ve shown somehow because Oksana’s eyes darkened and she pulled Eve closer. Only by millimeters, but enough that Eve could feel and see the want reflected back in Oksana’s eyes.

Something shifted in Oksana though, and her eyes softened as she brought one hand up towards Eve’s hair. She furrowed her brows and nearly whispered, “Eve, I… there’s something I…” She swallowed and looked so unsure for the first time since Eve had met her that it was surprising…and really endearing. 

Oksana’s eyes flicked over Eve’s shoulder, and she stiffened, pulling away and letting both hands fall away from Eve. “We should get the drinks, Eve.” Eve looked over her shoulder, expecting to see Niko, but there was no one there, just the crowd. When she turned back to Oksana, she was already elbowing her way to the bar and placing the order. They took the tray of shots and a few more pitchers of beer back to the table, Eve puzzling over what had happened. It was like a bucket of ice water had been dumped on them. Oksana’s fake smile and laugh grated now more than ever, and she nearly shrugged Niko’s arm off her shoulders before remembering where she was. 

After everyone had thrown back their shots, Oksana asked, “Where is your boss? What is his name? Frank? He doesn’t like to come cheer you on?” The team looked at each other and bust out laughing. Oksana politely smiled and asked, “I’m sorry, did I say something funny?”

Wiping her eyes, Elena said, “Oh we’re sorry, love. It’s just the thought of that man here…” She stifled another laugh as Bill held up his pint and said, “To Frank, that tosser!” They all laughed again.

Elena looked towards Eve. “Eve, you really have missed it this week. Frank has been extra weird, even for him. Mumbling to himself and it looks like the bastard hasn’t showered in days. OH! And he asked if I would run some prints up to him at his dead wife’s step-aunt’s house, if that isn’t a mouthful, up in Fishtown. Said his house was being renovated, but I bet it’s something gross or shady, like he’s shagging an old lady for her pension check. I said I’d mail the damn prints. No way am I going to some house alone with Frank, or Frank and his 90 year old lover, no thank you.” Elena pulled a face and took a healthy swig of beer to wash it away. 

Niko sighed, looked at his watch, and nudged Eve. It was starting to get a little late for working adults. Oksana nodded towards the table of millennials. “Elena, that guy has been looking over here for an hour. You should go talk to him already, he’s totally fit.” Eve saw Kenny go still, but he didn’t make a sound. Oksana continued, “I can stay with you if you want to get a drink with him, make sure you’re alright. Eve, Niko, would that be okay? I can catch an Uber back. I don’t want to leave her alone, but he is a total babe and it would be a shame to pass it up. Plus, he might have a friend.” She winked at Elena and Eve felt Niko breathe a laugh as he took out his keys.

He was still chuckling as he passed her his copy of their house key. “Ah to be young again! Don’t stay out too late, and call if you need anything, ok? You have the address, right?” Niko seemed pleased, but Eve felt her stomach dropping. Jealousy. That was this feeling. As if reading her mind, Oksana turned and gave her a quick lop-sided grin before turning back to Elena and heading over to the table with the remnants of their beer pitcher.

The only person in a worse mood than Eve as they were leaving was Kenny. Eve felt for him. He had been harboring a thing for Elena for months, and she had really only admitted her attraction to Oksana tonight. Besides, once she got this story, Oksana would be gone. Probably whisked away to some witness protection program. Or maybe she had a plea deal and had to serve some time for whatever her role in…whatever. Would Eve go visit her in prison? Press her hand up against a glass wall?

Eve fidgeted in their Uber, missing the heat from the ride to the bar. She was realizing more and more that she really had no idea who Oksana was, or what she did, or how she knew what she knew, or how she knew so many languages or… well, anything really. She’d fix that tomorrow. They were going to spend the whole day locked in her office and she was going to get what she needed. Hmm. Locked in a spare bedroom with a very hot blonde…getting what she needed. Eve felt the heat rising in her cheeks. She knew Oksana wanted her too. She wasn’t exactly shy about it, even if that could be just playing to get a rise out of Eve or Niko, but that look in the bar, that was real. She knew it. What was it she was about to say before everything shifted? Eve made a note to put that at the top of the list for tomorrow.

Apparently, the drinks had made Niko feel a little friskier than normal for a Monday night, and Eve surprised herself by leading him upstairs herself. So what if every time she closed her eyes, she saw wide, hazel eyes, and heard her name in a soft, Russian accent. Tons of married couples did the same thing, she was sure. Perfectly natural. 

She laid awake afterwards, Niko snoring and content next to her. Her mind was racing and sleep definitely wasn’t coming. She grabbed her iPhone and went downstairs for a little nightcap, and maybe a little research into Russian crime syndicates. 

She had just poured her second glass when she heard the front door open quietly, carefully. Oksana peeked into the kitchen and was obviously surprised to see Eve. She recovered quickly and looked around for Niko, eyebrows raised in a silent question. Eve shook her head slowly, bringing the wine to her lips. Oksana smiled and came into the kitchen. “Hi, Eve. Pour me one? I just need to use the bathroom.” She darted upstairs and Eve poured a second glass of cheap red, determined not to let Oksana know how glad she was to see her now and not coming home in the morning. Well, not home. Whatever.

As Oksana quietly made her way back downstairs, Eve pushed the glass towards her. “I thought you didn’t drink.” Oksana took a sip and made a face. 

“This is not good wine, Eve.” She took another sip with a grimace. “It is not that I do not drink, it is just that I prefer not to when I am in a new place.” She paused and glanced at Eve. “I do not like to feel out of control, that is all.” The admission seemed to surprise her, and she took another quick sip to hide her discomfort. “What was that song in the bar?”

Though they heard dozens of songs, Eve didn’t have to ask which she meant. “It was a song from a movie, you haven’t heard it before?” Oksana shook her head. Eve took a swig of wine. They had physically leaned closer to each other over the kitchen island. Eve hadn’t even noticed. “Oh. Well. Maybe we can watch it sometime.” 

Oksana face split into a wide smile. “Really? We could watch a movie?” Before Eve had a chance to answer, Niko bellowed down the stairs. “Eve? Eve! Honestly Eve, who the hell is calling you at this time??” Eve looked up towards the stairs in confusion. She had her iPhone with her on the counter…oh. OH! THAT phone! SHIT. Niko yelled down to her again. “How do you turn this damn thing off. EVE! They keep calling!”

She looked back at Oksana as she was rushing up the stairs, swearing she heard Oksana mutter “Goodbye, Eve.” Which was a weird way to say goodnight. Maybe it was a Russian thing.

She grabbed the phone from a very angry Niko, apologizing, and took the call into the bathroom. “Yes, hello, I’m sorry I forgot to check in tonight, I was out and—”

The gruff voice on the other end cut her off. “Eve Polastri?”

“Yes, yes, like I was saying I’m sorr—”

“Where is she, Eve? Are you safe? Is she in the house?”

“What are you talking about? Oksana is here, yes. Has something happened? Is someone coming for her??”

“Eve, lock yourself and your husband in a secure location. Do not engage the target. Help is on the way and will arrive in minutes.”

Eve’s head was spinning. “What are you talking about?? What is the target?”

The man on the other end of the phone snapped orders to someone. Eve could hear sirens approaching. “Eve. Frank Haleton, your boss, is dead. He was murdered this evening, in a safe house that we were keeping him in. We have reason to believe that the woman who is staying with you is responsible. Officers should arrive at your house in less than 90 seconds. Is she there?”

Eve sat hard on the toilet. Her legs didn’t seem capable of holding her weight any longer. “Yes, yes she’s… she’s downstairs. There has to be some mistake. She’s a source.” Eve felt her anger rising. “YOU told me she was a source, YOU asked me to take her into my HOME and now you’re telling me that she murdered someone?? Impossible. I don’t believe it.” 

Only… of course she believed it. She had known, hadn’t she? She had known what Oksana was, from almost the moment she met her. The man on the other end of the phone was saying something but Eve dropped the phone into the bathroom trash. She stalked out of the bathroom and threw open the door to her office. The few belongings that Oksana had brought were gone, likely tossed out the window. She was long gone by now, Eve could feel it. One single slip of paper was left on the made bed. With shaking hands, Eve picked it up. Scrawled hurriedly in perfect script were 2 words: _Sorry Baby_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay! I started a new job and also just finished a weekend class. Hoping to get back to posting a chapter at least every other week.


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